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Remains are being moved from Boone County cemetery to make room for phantom school

New subdivision pushing out the dead
Posted at 7:10 PM, Aug 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-23 19:10:37-04

UNION, Ky, -- Plans submitted to the Boone County planning board show a proposed school to be built over an old graveyard, but wait a minute.

School officials say that's not happening, even while the remains are being relocated.

So what's going on?

Construction workers have been busy at the new Ballyshannon subdivision on Longbranch Road. Along with the homes are plans to build a new middle school to serve the booming population.

However, the map submitted by the architects shows a second campus on the same parcel of land -- on top of the Wilson Cemetery. Historian Bridget Striker says one of the interred was a member of the famous Morgan's Raiders.

But Boone County Schools spokesperson Barbara Brady says that map isn't what the district is thinking.

"That is not going to happen. There are no plans to put a new school over the top of a former cemetery," Brady told WCPO.

So what is this phantom school?

The application from the architect indicates plans for a 600-student elementary school. But Brady says a new grade school isn't even on the drawing board, and if it were, Ballyshannon doesn't look like their first choice.

The architect says that phantom campus is just a bookmark -- something to show that there is room on the parcel for two campuses if the district sees a future need.

But as of now there is no money and no plans to put any school on top of a cemetery.

Meanwhile, the remains of 27 will be going into Union Rice Cemetery.